A red firetruck with one special firefighters name engraved on the rear sits idle at Kangaroo Flat CFA station, waiting to respond to it's next call.
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The truck is dedicated to former Kangaroo Flat CFA captain William "Bill" Bowery, who served the community up until his final breaths on Friday.
The dedicated firefighter spent over 70 years working for the CFA taking on numerous roles.
Born and bred in Bendigo, Mr Bowery began his long-winded career in 1955, serving as a lieutenant in the brigade until 1961.
He then went on to captain it for almost 20 years, finishing up in June 1979.
That was his thing, a cup of tea, a good yarn and a biscuit.
- CFA captain James O'brien
Since then, Mr Bowery's commitment to serving his community never wavered.
He went on to be an instructor for the Kangaroo Flat Youth Crew for 12 years, as well as a valued member of the Central Victorian Fire Preservation society and the award winning North West Region Community Education Group.
In recognition of his service, among many other accolades, Mr Bowery was awarded an Australian Fire Services Medal in the Australia Day honours in 2017.
Current Kangaroo Flat CFA captain James O'Brien describes Mr Bowery as an irreplaceable member of the brigade.
"He was an incredibly calming influence on all those around him," Mr O'Brien said.
"He was an older, quieter gentleman who didn't say a lot, but when he said something it always made a lot of sense to a lot of people."
The 93 year old will be remembered for his warmth, quick wit and among all else - his partiality to a sweet treat.
"That was his thing, a cup of tea, a good yarn and a biscuit," Mr O'Brien said.
Among those mourning his death will be his brigade "partner in crime" Ken Deveraux.
Mr Deveraux served more than 60 years in the brigade alongside Mr Bowery.
A Thanksgiving Service for Bill Bowery will be held on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 at 11am. It will be held at St Mary's Anglican Church, 193 High Street, Kangaroo Flat.
There will then be a graveside service at Eaglehawk Lawn Cemetery at 1.30pm.
A meticulously restored 1960's fire truck will carry Mr Bowery's coffin from the service for one final lap of Kangaroo Flat on Tuesday.
"That'll be Bill's final ride," captain O'Brien said.
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